Something rather remarkable just happened in Idaho. The state legislature opted toŚin essenceŚrepeal the entire state regulatory code. The cause may have been dysfunction across legislative chambers, but the result is serendipitous. A new governor is presented with an unprecedented opportunity to repeal an outdated and burdensome regulatory code and replace it with a more streamlined and sensible set of rules. Other states should be paying close attention.

The situation came about due to the somewhat unconventional nature of Idahoĺs regulatory process. Each year, the stateĺs entire existing body of regulations expires unless reauthorized for an additional year by the legislature. In most years, reauthorization happens smoothly, but not this year.

Instead, the legislature wrapped up an acrimonious session in April without passing a rule-reauthorization bill. As a result, come July 1, some 8,200 pages of regulations containing 736 chapters of state rules will expire. Any rules the governor opts to keep will have to be implemented as emergency regulations, and the legislature will consider them anew when it returns next January.

The situation certainly has potential to cut a lot of red tape from Idaho's regulations. It remains to be seen if the parties involved will take appropriate advantage of the opportunity. ID doesn't have a lot of overly burdensome regulations compared to most states, but every bit helps.

I've been half-joking for decades about every law needing an expiration date. That way, they'll be so busy re-enacting good laws, that they won't have time to pass lousy ones.

But I've been recommending five years, not one.

I've also recommended having to repeal at least one law in order to pass another one and having the legislative sessions last only two weeks, and only every other year. Texas comes close to that ideal, I guess.

Bring me my Broadsword and a clear understanding.Get up to the roundhouse on the cliff-top standing.Take women and children and bed them down.Bless with a hard heart those that stand with me. Bless the women and children who firm our hands.Put our backs to the north wind. Hold fast by the river.Sweet memories to drive us on, for the motherland.

They actually have to do something to relax the current regs. There's a big to do at the capitol right now over them confiscating some truck heading from CO to OR and arresting the driver because it was full of hemp. It was from one of those medicinal companies or whatever. Apparently there was just enough THC in it for the state cops to do that, and ID is backing them up. I don't like pot, but to me, that's dangerously close to interfering with interstate commerce. I mean, what if some gun company was taking a load of 30 round mags from AZ to ID and cut through CA for some reason, and CA impounded the vehicle and arrested the driver?